- Date
- December 19, 2023, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. Louis, MO · Per 6120
- Injuries
- 107 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8514FBoeing 737
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Parties
- FAA/AVP110
- Case key
- 193561
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A bird strike during climbout.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
Southwest Airlines flight 2217 struck a bird while climbing though 6,000 ft. after departure from the St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), St. Louis, Missouri. According to the flight crew, during the climb they saw a “quick flash” pass diagonally from right to left across the nose of the airplane, followed by a “thud” sound. Which they surmised was a bird that had impacted the nose or belly area of the airplane. After confirming that the flight controls, engines, and pressurization system were operating normally, they decided to continue to their destination. They advised the company of a possible bird strike via an aircraft communicating and reporting system (ACARS) message to coordinate with maintenance for an inspection and damage assessment upon landing. The flight continued normally with no change in the performance or operation of the airplane and landed without further incident. After landing the crew performed a post-flight walk around to search for any evidence of a bird strike, when they discovered impact damage to the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer (see figure 1). Maintenance personnel subsequently discovered a crack, about 12 inches long, in the left horizonal stabilizer lower spar chord. Although the bird impact caused substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, the flight crew was able to control the airplane and the captain reported that “the flight controls and everything felt normal”. Figure 1 – Photo of the left horizontal stabilizer leading edge showing the location of the bird impact. (Source: Southwest Airlines) A review of pilot reports near the time and location of the event revealed that no prior information about bird activity had been reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8514F
- Reported as
- Boeing 737 (800)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36975
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 23,092
- Engines
- CFM Intl CFM56-7B27E/F, 27,300 lbs thrust, turbo fanCFM Intl CFM56-7B27E/F, 27,300 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Registered owner
- Southwest Airlines Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 13, 2023
- Destination
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 21,561 total · 9,460 in this make and model · 3,304 as pilot in command · 123 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 27, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,923 total · 222 in this make and model · 1,012 as pilot in command · 222 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 24,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTL
- METAR
- KSTL 192251Z 14009KT 10SM BKN240 04/M08 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP253 T00441078
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.